Electric vulcanizer.



0. C. DENNIS.

ELECTRIC VULCANIZER.

APPLICATION mso JuLYzo, 1914.

Patented July 27, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

0. C. DENNIS.

ELECTRIC VULCANIZER.'

APPLICATION FILED IuLY 2o, 1914.

1,147,847. n I Patented July 27,1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

jme/7215.72 @v-ung. @M f VM oLIvER c. DENNIS, or CHICAGO,- ILLINoIs.

ELECTRIC vULcANIzER.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Application fue@ July 2o, 1914. .serial 110-1351365.

l 'To all whom it mayco'ncern:

- Be it known that, I, OLIVER C. DENNIS, a

residentof Chicago, in the county of Cook` and State of Illinois,- have invented certain `new and useful Improvements 'in Electric Vulcanizers, of which the following is a full,

clear, and exact description.

. The invention relates to electric vulcan' izers.

. Electrical vulcanizers as heretofore conl structed were usually so .cumbersome that they have goneinto use only in shops. f

. The present invention designs to provide a .portable electrical .vulcanizer which 1s small and compact so that it may be carried on a motor-vehicle for road-side repairs if necessary, andwhieh is adapted to be oper ated by current of a low voltage (usually the-rubber.

A further object of the invention is to'provide an improved electrical vulcanizer which is adapted to. cut olf the supply of six volts) whichis availablefrom the stor- `age batterycarried on the vehicle and used for lighting and ignition.

A further. object of the invention is to provide'an improved portable velectric vulcanizer in which .provision is madeato automatically prevent overheating or burning of currentA as 'soon as the maximum temperature desired vulcanizationis reached, so that the work may be placed in the vulcanizer and left without further attention and switch to-cut olii' the current and without the `necessity of waiting forthe patch to be vulcanized before iscontinue thev vulcanizin operation. I

A further o ject of the invention is to provide an' improved electrical vulcanizer which is adaptedto patch inner tubes 4and casings of tires.

, ,provide an improved electrical vulcanizer in Y which the'resis'tancefelement' is securedl in the case, so-that it, will not become broken when carried aboutl on' the vehicle.

' Lastly, the invention is designed to prof-'y vide aportable electric. vulcanizer of.. i m

proved construction.

- The invention @consists in 'the several' operating a A furtherobjectfof the invention ist-o' novel features hereinafter set forth and Patentedsuly 27,1915.

more particularly defined by 4claims at the conclusionl hereof.

In the drawings-Figure 1 isa plan of the improved vulcanizer. Fig. 2 is a side e evation. Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan, the case being tional plan of the automatic cut-out switch. Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detail section takenon line 7-7 of Fig. 5.

. The improved vulcanizing device comprises'a case10, which is provided with laterally projecting arms or lugs 11-having slotted ends, and a clau'lping-plate 12 provided with screws 14 vwhich are adapted to be secured by nuts 15 in position to clamp a tire-tube and patch in firm contact with and against the bottom plate 16 ofthe case.

against a tire casing so that a patchl may be vulcanized on the casing when the case 10.

is secured to the casing by suitable means. The. vulcanizer is thus adapted to repair either innertubes or casings. The concave wall 17 and the sidewall 1.8. of the case are integral and form a box or receptacle for the heating element. Bottom plate 16 is l removably secured to the plate by screws 19.

shown'in section. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sec- I Thei top face 17 of the case. iscurved to fit The heating element comprisesa strip of Y suitable resistance wire 20 which is wound around a sheet of mica or other suitable insulating .material 21 which is notched, as at 22, to'hold and space the coils. Bindingposts 23 and 24 are secured in, passthroug'h, and are insulated from, the sides of case 10. .These binding posts are adaptedfor connec- `1 tion to flexible conductors 25v and 26 which are adapted to be connectedto the poles of the usual six voltage storage battery of 'a motor Vehicle.

A switch chamber 27 isformed in one .corner of the case by aninset angular partition or wall 28, a plate 29 is .secured to the side wallsof the case by screws 30 f or closing said chamber.- The chamber contains the controlling mechanism whereby.` the circuit will be interrupted when 'the desired vulcanizing temperature, usually from 2509 to 280, is attained. f One end. of

' post 33 which is also secured in, extends resistance `wire 2'0 is connected to binding post 24 and its other end is connected to a binding post 31 which is secured in' and eX- tends through wall 28. The heating element also comprises a stripv of resistance wire 32 which has one of its ends connected to binding' post 23 and its other end to a binding throughand is insulated from wall 28.

The heating element which consists of strips of wires 20, 32, is formed of about 20 gage resistance vwire used for-'heating coils, and'it has been found by experiment that approximately two vfeet of such wire will, when supplied with. siXvolt current, raise the temperature of the Vulcanizer to about 260 to 280 Fahr. in about ten minutes.

One corner ofthe mica sheet'21is cut away as at 34 to clear the inset wall 28 and resistance wire 32 is also wound around said sheet. The mica sheet 21 and resistance wires are embedded in'refractory material 21', such as hre-brick, which completely fills the space inv the case 10. This material is placed in the case in a plasticc'condition and when setiwill form-a solid packing around all portions ofthe mica sheet and resistanceswitch is provided forl connecting the 'circuit between binding posts 31 and 33 so that the resistance elements 20 and 32 will .be connected '1n series. This switch may be "operated manually to close the circuit 'through the heating wires, and when the correct vulcanizing temperature has beenv reached, usually about 2509 to 285Fahrenheit, the'switch will be automatically-released to open the circuit andl permitthe vulcaniza- I i tion to be completed by the residual heat in 4the refractory material .and case. This "toa switchconsists of a spring contact-strip 36 which is adapted to contact with and engage a ratchet-.wheel 37. Contact 36 is secured )lun er 38 which is slidably mounted in a rac et 39 which is electrically con- -nected to binding post 31 and insulated from the case. A button 41 of insulating material is vsecured tothe plunger and extends through and is guided iin oneof the sides of the case,

so that it can be manipulated from the outside. thereof. A spring 40 is applied to hold button 41, plunger 38, and spring-contact 36 normally in position so that thecircuit lwill be interrupted. Button 41 has a vstop- Vflange 41 which limits'the outward move- `ment of the button byspring Spring fr a period after the current has been cut I o x.

contact 36 isprovided with a slot 42 adapted .to receive a tooth of ratchet-wheel 37 when the button 41 'is pushed inwardly, to latch the contact in position to close the circuit.

Ratchet-wheel 37 is electrically connected to binding post 33 and'is mounted on a pin 43 held in the inner bifurcated end of binding postA 33. The upper face of ratchet 37 is covered with soft solder as at 44 and a hole 45 is formed in binding post 33 which is also illed with Soft solder. The bindingpost is formed of material which will unite with the solder.

The 'operation of the deyice will be as 4 follows: Assuming conductors 25 and 26 to 'have been vconnected to the battery ofthe vmotor vehicle and the case 10 to be secured contact with the work or patch to be made, it is only necessary for the operator to push the button 41 inwardly which will cause the inner end of spring 36 to spring over and lock on one of the teeth of ratchet 37. Thereupoma circuit will be established as follows: from battery to conductor 25, binding post 24, resistance wire 20, binding post 31, bracket 39, plunger 38, spring contact 36, ratchet-wheel 37, binding post 33, resistance wire 32, binding post 23, conductor 26, to battery. The resistance element 20 being formed of such length and wound of unusually large wire so as-to have a low resistance, will permit suiicient current to low through the wire to cause it to be heated by siX volt current usually available on a motor-vehicle. The circuit will remain closed and the resistance wires will heat the ,case and the refractory material therein until the temperature reaches a point which willv soften the solder between ratchet 37 and vbinding-post 33 which will, under the tension of the spring 40, rupture or shear the soldered connection between the face of the ratchet 37 and the solder plug in hole 45, and thereupon spring 40 will retract plunger 38 and spring-contact 39, the ratchet being rotated a short distance as the contact is withdrawn. This disconnection will open the circuit and discontinue the heating operation. The "soft solder used for the connection between ratchet 37 and post 33 is of such character that it will melt when the temperature at which the current should be cut oi is reached.

As soon as the device cools suliciently to cause the solder to harden, ratchet wheel 37 will again be automatically secured and resoldered to binding post 33 so that when button 41 is again pushed' inwardly, the circuit will be again closed as'heretofore described. The position of button 41 indicates whether the vulcanizing operation has been y the low voltage battery usually present for other purposes. It is impossible to burn the work, because of the automatic cut-olf which must be reset manually before the device will be again heated after it rea r:hes the point desired. The device in its entirety is peculiarly adapted to be carried on the motor vehicle'for road-side use, ifnecessary. The device can be manufactured at a low cost and is less dangerous to handle than the portable open flame vulcanizers which are now used for road-side repairs. The vulcanizer is self contained and all of the operating parts are disposed in the case, so that it 1s particu-v larly well adapted to be carried on a motorvehicle. The refractory material'which fills the'chamber in the case distributes the heat to the top and bottom walls of the case so that either of said walls may be used for vulcanizing, and furthermore, by providing 'such a lling, the heating elementv will not be broken by vibration or shock to which it maybe subjected when the device is carriedon a motor vehicle. By disposing the switch and fusible connection in a .chamber in the case the'heat will be conducted thereto from the resistance element and there are no parts 4 on the outside .of the case which are likely to become broken.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set forth, since these may be modified within the scope vof the appended claims withoutfdepart-ing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by-Letters Patent, is:

1. In a portable electricvulcanizer, the combination of a case, an electrical resistance element in the case, a switch for controlling the current to said element, and a fusible automatically resoldering connection controlling the operation of the switch and fusible at the vulcanizing heat.

2. In a portable electric vulcanizer, the combinationof acase, an electrical resistance element in the case, a switch for controlling the.l current to vsaid element, a fusible automatically resoldering connection controlling the operation of the switch and fusible at the vulcanizing by the switch may 'be closed manually, said resoldering connection controlling the opening of thelswitch, to cause the flow of current to said element to be discontinued until 'i the switch is againjmanually operated.

3'. In a fportableelectric vulcanizer, the combination 4of a-case`,.an electrical resistheat, and means Wherefusible automatically resoldering connection controlling the operation of the switch,

said connection releasing the switch under a shearing action when fused.

4. In a portable electric vulcanizer, the

combination of a case, an electricalresistance element in the case, a switch'for controlling the current to said element, and a fusibleautomatically resoldering connection controlling the operation of the switch and fusing under vulcanizing heat, said connection releasing the switchunder a shearing action when fused.

5. In a portable electric vulcanizer, the combination of a case, an electrical resistance element in the case, a switch for controlling the current to said element embodyinsr a spring retracted plunger, and a ratchet wheel 'with which said plunger engages when projected to close said circuit, and a fusible automatically resoldering connection between said ratchet wheel and its support, said connection releasing said ratchet wheel under a shearing action when fused.

6. Ina portable electric vulcanizer, the combination of a case, anelectrical resistance element in the case, a switch for controlling the current to .said element embodying a spring retracted plunger, and a ratchet wheel with which said. plunger .engages when projected to close said circuit, and a fusible automatically .resoldering connection between said ratchet wheel and its support and fusing under vulcanizing heat, said connection releasing said ratchet wheel under av shearing action when fused.

7. A portable electric vulcanizer comprising a case, an electrical resistance element mounted therein and adapted'to be operated by a current of low voltage to heat the case to the vulcanizing point, and comprising a plurality of strips, and a switch between the strips for connecting them in series, said switch operating when opened to break the circuit to both of said strips.

8. A portable vulcanizer, comprisin a case having a wall adapted to be applie to the work to be. vulcanized, a partition dividing the same into two chambers, an electrical resistance element in onechamb'er of the case, and a switch disposed in the other the outside of the case to ren er vthevresistance element operative.

9. In a portable electric vulcanizer, the

combination of a case, an electrical resistance element 1n the case, a swltch for controlling the operation of said element and a fusible automatically resoldering connection disposed in the circuit and controlling the operation of the switch. l

10. In an electrical vulcanizer, the combinationof a case, an electric resistance el ment in the case, a vswitch vfor controlling the operation of said element Icomprising a ;spring contact,- means for operating the 5 switch comprising a ratchet engaged by said contact, and a fusible connectlon for the ratchet..

11. Inma vulcanzer, the combination of a case, a resistance element in the case, a

10 switch for controlling the operation of said gaged by said contact, and a fusible connection directly engaging and retaining the ratchet.

, Witnesses-z A. J. PEIFER, A. C. S'rUKE.

OLIVER o. DENNIS. 

